Judith Katz, M.D., B.A.’72

For The Love Of Puzzles

By Jim Sciancalepore, M.A.’93

Judith Katz has always loved crossword puzzles and other games that challenge and tease the mind. She thinks this is what drew her to the field of imaging.

“Everything I do is really a puzzle,” explained Katz, the chief of Ultrasound at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. “I have to look at the situation, the images we collect, and put the puzzle together.”

In addition to overseeing the ultrasound department and reading scans such as x-rays, CT-scans and mammograms, Katz is an assistant professor at Tufts University School of Medicine. She enjoys the teaching part of her job because it ensures that she is constantly learning. “I like being a student for life,” she said.

Katz chose the University at Albany because of its proximity to her downstate New York family. She has fond memories of working in the biology labs – a precursor, of sorts, to her work in imaging.

“I enjoy being behind the scenes, working collaboratively with other professionals to solve a problem,” Katz noted. “When you know you’ve helped someone, it’s an extraordinary feeling.”